A Dark and Stormy Haunting
by Dragonwind
Summary: Very loosely based in LOTR, sequel to Finding Heart, Konner, Aalyssa and their children have a fright while out on the road


A DARK AND STORMY HAUNTING  
  
BY CINDY WARNER  
  
  
Email: princessaalyssaofmirkwood@hotmail.com  
  
Fandom: Lord of the Rings, only for two places mentioned, the mention of Orcs and my  
own characters from a previous LOTR fic  
  
Disclaimer: This is an original work of fiction, Rivendell, Mirkwood and Eryn Lasgalen  
are not mine, but Tolkein's. Please do not sue...I have nothing.  
  
Copyright 2002 by Cindy Warner  
  
  
  
~~~~~~~  
  
  
Twas the end of October, and the young royal family of Mirkwood, now Eryn Lasgalen,  
are traveling home from a visit in Rivendell.   
  
Kayleigh and Rhiannon, twin daughters of Prince Konner and Princess Aalyssa peered  
out of the carriage window, their faces pressed close together. "Tis really coming down  
hard, " Kayleigh commented quietly. She flicked a glance over her shoulder, making  
certain she had not awakened her mother, who was in the dream realm. "I hope I did  
not wake her."  
  
"Who could sleep through this?" Rhiannon wondered, cringing as lightning crashed  
across the sky, flashing brightly across the black night sky. The horses became jittery  
as the sounds of thunder became louder.  
  
"Perhaps we should stop for the night at the next inn," Konner commented, peering out  
of the other window by his seat. The carriage jolted to a halt, sending the two girls  
tumbling to the floor and nearly unseating Konner. "Then again, perhaps we should  
have stopped at the last inn," he commented dryly, lifting the girls and checking for  
injuries.  
  
"What happened?" Aalyssa inquired, awakened from her dreams. She gathered the  
discarded sewing beside her and tucked it in her sewing basket.  
  
"I am sure we shall know in a minute, my love," Konner said, hearing footsteps  
approaching the door.  
  
The door opened and the driver, who was soaked to the skin, peered in. "Highnesses. I  
fear we are quite stuck until someone happens along. The rear wheel is mired in mud."  
  
"Oh dear," Aalyssa exclaimed, feeling a chill already encroaching the still carriage. She  
anxiously glanced at Konner, not liking the idea of sitting still in the wilds.  
  
"Thank you, Lacoche," Konner nodded. The door closed and Konner left his seat to  
slide the bar in place then he went to each window to pull the curtains closed, trying to  
block some of the chill out.  
  
Aalyssa knelt on the floor and pulled a case out from under her seat and beckoned for  
her daughters to come over. She wrapped Kayleigh in her green wool cloak and  
Rhiannon in her dark grey one. She then handed Konner his and put her own on. "I do  
not like this Konner. I care not for feeling vulnerable."  
  
"I know love, but the guards are forming a ring about us. Taisin is heading them and we  
shall be quite safe," Konner assured his wife, taking a seat next to her and slipping his  
arm around her, his sword by his side, blade to the floor. "Come here, girls, we shall  
sleep together to stay warm."  
  
"We are not ready for bed, Daddy," Kayleigh fussed, climbing up on the seat opposite.  
  
"Can we not stay up a bit longer?" Rhiannon agreed.  
  
Their parents looked at one another then Aalyssa smiled. "Alright, but only a few more  
minutes. Do not open the door nor go out the windows," Aalyssa warned.  
  
Kayleigh nodded, "We will not, Mommy." She smiled at her parents who quickly slipped  
into the dream realm, then crooked a finger at Rhiannon. "Let us see what we can see  
outside."  
  
The twins took places on the rail that ran below the window and poked their heads  
under the curtain so they could see.  
  
The wind picked up, ripping the remaining leaves from their branches on the trees  
towering above the carriage. Rain and small balls of hail pelted their faces as the  
sisters stared outside, their imaginations running wild.  
  
Rhiannon peered between the guards, waving at Goloreth and Taisin. Her eyes lifted to  
look between the trees and she nudged Kayleigh excitedly. "Look! A glowing figure!"  
she exclaimed, pointing to their left.  
  
"Oooh, it could be a goblin or..." she grinned naughtily into the dark. "The Hunter."  
  
Rhiannon gulped, "The Hunter?"  
  
"Yes," Kayleigh nodded knowingly. "They say he is an orc who has sworn revenge on  
Elven children. Twas an Elven child who killed him. On the other side, he made a deal  
with evil so he could return and exact his revenge. He roams the woods in the dead of  
night, using his unearthly glow to light his way."  
  
Rhiannon's eyes widened as her sister spun her tale.  
  
"His nose is tuned to the scent of Elven children, so he can smell them out. Where ever  
they hide, using the dark as cover, he gets as close as he can and watches them.  
When they are least expecting it, he lifts his axe, and..." Kayleigh paused for dramatic  
effect.  
  
"What? What Kayleigh?" Rhiannon gulped.  
  
"He whacks their head off," she added, the words accentuated by the thunder rolling  
and a bright flash of lightning lit the sky.  
  
Rhiannon squealed and leapt from the rail, raced across the carriage and threw herself  
in her mother's lap.  
  
"What in the..." Aalyssa sputtered, looking down to find a shuddering Rhiannon. "What  
is wrong, sweetling?"  
  
"Do not let him get me," she gasped out in a whisper, ignoring the peals of her sister's  
laughter.  
  
"Who?" Aalyssa inquired with concern, pulling Rhiannon close for a hug.  
  
"The...the Hunter."  
  
"Kayleigh," Konner said in a warning tone. "What have you been telling your sister?" He  
hoisted the other girl onto his lap.  
  
Struggling to not laugh, Kayleigh retold her tale, pausing once more at him lifting his  
axe. She was quite proud of the story she wove.  
  
Aalyssa frowned as she kissed Rhiannon on top of the head. "There is no such thing as  
The Hunter, sweetling," she whispered in the little one's ear.  
  
"And then he whacks off their..." Kayleigh was finished, but was interrupted by a  
pounding on the door.  
  
Rhiannon screamed and pressed her face against Aalyssa, who's arms tightened  
around her. Kayleigh squealed and wrapped both arms around Konner's neck. His free  
hand was wrapped around his sword hilt.  
  
He sat Kayleigh next to Aalyssa and cautiously went to the door. "Yes?" he called out,  
without opening the door.  
  
"Highness," Lacoche said, "Bietram, Cook's husband, is returning home with a wagon  
of vegetables and fruits, but he has offered the use of his horses to help pull us out of  
the mud hole. He does ask that everyone get out of the carriage, for safety's sake.  
  
Konner's heart slowed to a normal rate, chiding himself for being pulled in by  
Kayleigh's tale. "Fine." He slid the bar over and leapt down to the ground, helping  
Aalyssa and the girls to the ground.  
  
"Master Lacoche?" Rhiannon said, tugging on the hem of his tunic.  
  
"Yes, Highness?"  
  
"Did you see a glowing figure in the woods earlier?" she asked.  
  
"What?" he huffed, then he paused to think. "Oh. That was probably Edlyn. Many years  
ago, her village was attacked by Orcs and all were killed, save her baby. But on stormy  
nights such as this, Edlyn roams, searching for her babe."  
  
"What became of it?" Kayleigh wondered.  
  
"She was found by an Elf of Rivendell, who took her there, where she was raised by  
Lady Anastasia, along with her other children. After, she wed someone from Mirkwood,  
but I know not who she was, or of her fate."  
  
"She will never rest then," Aalyssa said sadly.  
  
"No, Highness, she will not. Not until she knows of what became of her daughter,"  
Lacoche confirmed.  
  
A chorus of hurrahs went up as the carriage lurched free from the mud, thanks to the  
additional horsepower.   
  
Konner thanked Bietram, who soon rehitched and was on his way back home. Konner  
assisted his family back into the carriage and closed the door behind them, and they  
were also soon en route for home.  
  
A sad mournful cry was heard from the trees as the carriage began moving. Rhiannon  
peered out of the window, seeing the glowing figure once more, a sad look in her eyes,  
waving to them.  
  
Aalyssa sat silently, lost in thought. Lady Anastascia had raised her mother, as well as  
Myadora, who was her natural child. She pondered, comparing the differences of  
appearance between her mother and aunt. Her jaw dropped, remembering how her  
aunt had told her once of how her mother had become part of that family.  
  
"Darling?" Konner said, concerned.  
  
"Edlyn would have been my grandmother. Mother had told me she had lost her mother  
to Orcs."  
  
Realization dawned on Konner as the pieces fell into place for him as well.  
  
"Stop the coach!" Aalyssa shouted out the window, ignoring her husband's bewildered  
look.  
  
"Lyssie, what are you doing?" he called out as she opened the door and left the  
carriage. The girls both looked at him with worry.  
  
Aalyssa walked into the driving rain, pushing her hood back, the rain quickly soaking  
her hair, plastering it against her. "Are you here?"  
  
The glowing figure appeared in front of her, staring with sad eyes. In the figures face,  
Aalyssa saw a She-elf who looked much like her own mother. "Grandmother?" she  
asked softly. "Wilhelmina was my mother."  
  
The figure cocked it's head to one side, regarding Aalyssa. Then she lifted a hand and  
rested it against Aalyssa's forehead.  
  
Konner started forward, but Taisin and Lacoche held him back by the arms. "Lyssie!"  
he called out.  
  
The glow dimmed as the figure smiled and patted Aalyssa's cheek, then glided over to  
the carriage where the girls stood. An eerie but happy laugh escaped the figure before  
it flickered out, leaving only a whisper behind, saying "Aalyssa."  
  
"Lyssie!" Konner cried out once more, running to where his wife had fallen to her  
knees.  
  
"I am all right, Konner," she assured him. "Twas how we could communicate." She  
smiled as Konner lifted her into his arms and she continued, "The Orcs were not alone  
at the village and she knew evil had touched her child. They destroyed the village when  
she tried to stop the force, and has spent her time seeking her child so she could stop  
her. Now she can rest, because she knows her daughter's fate. She also can see I nor  
the girls carry the evil." Aalyssa sighed, leaning her head against her husband, "I would  
have liked knowing her."  
  
Konner kissed her as he climbed back into the carriage and settled her in her seat. "As  
I am sure she would have liked knowing you, my love."  
  
"Who was that, Mommy?" the girls asked in unison.  
  
"Your great grandmother. She said to tell you she loves you very much," Aalyssa  
explained, taking the girls on her lap and kissing each golden head. "Now, get some  
rest, my loves."  
  
Konner snuggled beside them, wrapping his arms around his family and they slipped  
into the dream realm, the carriage moving quietly and steadily through the night.  
  
The end 


End file.
